Bleach: Reset the Clock
by LDSAuthor2013
Summary: In the hopes of stopping Aizen's reign of terror before it begins, Ichigo travels back in time. When he gets there, not only has he lost both bankai and shikai releases, and many of his gain powers, but he finds he's also a couple hundred years too early. Rated M for blood, gore, swearing, alcoholism, and possible, but not likely, LEMONS in the future.
1. Chapter 1

Ichigo stared blankly out at the billowing clouds of smoke and ash that had, only an hour ago, been the great and powerful Seireitei, home of the Soul Reapers. The large buildings and barracks of the Soul Reapers lay in huge piles of rubble, and throughout the entire city, bodies lay crumpled or sprawled out against the ground. At least, they were, unless they had been burned to death, their ashes mixing with the now slate-grey sky. Aizen had made certain that his vengeance had been precise and flawless when he returned. Ichigo was more than willing to bet that he and his few friends were the only people Aizen had been 'merciful' enough to let live.

Ichigo's scowl deepened at the thought. It had come out of nowhere, Aizen's attack. It had just been after Juha Bach had made his attack on the Seireitei with his armies of Quinceys. Ichigo, Renji, Rukia, and the other Shinigamis had held off the blows, but not without many casualties. Soi-Fon of Squad 2 had died, and Toshiro of Squad 10 had barely survived, his spiritual pressure barely even a whisper of what it had once been. However, despite the blows the Quinceys had made on the Shinigami, Ichigo and the others had stood strong against their attacks and ended the 1,000 long war, a victory for the Seireitei. For a second, there was peace.

And then, like a bolt of lightning, sudden and unexpected, Aizen burst free of his prison in the Maggot's Nest. No one saw him coming, and no one had expected him to carry so much power. Ichigo himself had faced Aizen, with his new Bankai, yet Aizen had knocked him away like he was a pesky fly and went on his way. Ichigo and his friends had to watch in horror as Aizen's path through the Seireitei brought destruction to everything. Those who had been wounded in the battle against the Quinceys were quickly incinerated by the heavy blanket of his reiatsu, and those who were cocky, confident, or desperate enough to attack him soon found themselves dead at his feet, the cruel man not even fazed by their advances. And then, just as suddenly as he had appeared, he had vanished, leaving a broken Seireitei, and a few sorry survivors.

Sighing, Ichigo turned back to the others. Orihime sat beside Chad, Renji, and Uryuu, all three of them badly injured by Aizen's attacks. Yoruichi, who stood a good distance away from the group, sat crouched down on the side of the hill, her face buried in her arms, mind deep in thought. Urahara, the last survivor in their group, was standing not far from Ichigo, also thinking deeply about the events of the past hour. They all sat on Sokyoku Hill, the only place Aizen had left untouched; the place his empire of evil truly began. No one else had survived, no captains, lieutenants…not even Rukia. Ichigo's eyes darkened even further as he thought of the young Soul Reaper girl. She hadn't stood a chance against Aizen, yet she'd continued her assault against him, sending off Kido after Kido, until finally his Zanpakuto, the one everyone thought he'd lost, ripped through her, ending her life in an instant.

Ichigo glared, not really to anyone in particular. If anything, he was most mad at himself. If he had been stronger, if he'd been smarter, he could have stopped Aizen. He could have saved them all. If only. If only…

"It's not your fault, Ichigo," Urahara said, walking over slowly to the Substitute Soul Reaper, his geta clicking against the rough ground. "No one expected Aizen to return with such power. We all are to blame for not being able to stop Aizen's attacks. We should have been prepared for his attacks, but we weren't. And now, we've paid the consequences." Ichigo frowned and stared out at the ash again.

"But still, Kisuke," Ichigo said, sighing, "I can't live with the reality that this is the universe we'll be living in from now on! Aizen, winning? That's not how it's supposed to happen! There must be some way to stop him, right?" Urahara frowned and looked over at Yoruichi. The cat-like ex-Soul Reaper Captain looked up to him and nodded solemnly, a secret conversation carried between the two of them with only a glance. Sighing, the shop keeper adjusted his hat and looked out at the ruins with Ichigo. After a moment, he began to speak.

"There is a way to stop him, Ichigo," he said slowly, glaring into the dust and ash. Ichigo's head whipped around quickly, his eyes staring wide open at Uruhara. The ex-Soul Reaper Captain nodded and folded his arms across his chest. "But it's extremely difficult to pull off. Not many Soul Reapers have even heard of it, it's such a rare method. And if you were to use it, you would most likely lose up to 90% of all your current abilities. You'd have to start off from the beginning all over again." Ichigo's gaze steeled against Urahara's.

"Come on, Hat-n-Clogs! What is it?" Urahara sighed, walking a ways off, leading Ichigo away from the group for a bit. Once he was certain no one but Yoruichi could hear or see the exchange between him and Ichigo, the blonde-haired man reached up into his clothes and slowly pulled out a scroll about as wide as Ichigo's forearm and just as long. It was bound with a dark purple band, and the edges of the parchment were cracked and dulled, looking very old and weather-beaten. Urahara sat down slowly on the ground and set the scroll before him. Ichigo nodded and sat down beside him, staring at the paper in wonder.

"This, Ichigo," Urahara said, pointing to the scroll, "is the ancient and powerful Toki Scroll, an ancient tool once used by the Soul Reapers. Originally one of ten-thousand scrolls, this is the last one in existence. All the other scrolls were either used, and thus unable to work anymore, or destroyed because they were thought to be too hazardous to the universe. They are banned in the Seireitei, so I had to keep it safe in the World of the Living, waiting out until I was certain it was absolutely necessary to use it. And, well, now it is."

Uruhara paused and slowly opened the parchment. Inside, there were many different striding lines of script, their meanings unexplainable. In the very center, there was a large symbol of time, to which all the other scripts flowed towards. "The Toki Scroll," Urahara said, staring at the words, "is actually used to open a portal that tears through the fabric of time, and allows the user to travel back in time. However, it is very dangerous to use. It takes enormous amounts of reiatsu to activate it, and can only be used to travel back along the flow of time, to points that have already occurred. Also, one needs to focus completely on the time he wants to travel back to, so that he does not get lost. And, let's face it, focusing your mind and energy has never been your strong point." Ichigo glared up at the Soul Reaper, so Urahara cleared his throat and continued. "In addition, it can only be used once, so if you mess up, you won't be able to start over. And don't even try using a different Toki Scroll; the all keep tract of the users, and whether you use them in the past, or right now, all of them will register you as having used them, and will not accept your requests. So, if you do use the Toki Scroll, it'll be all or nothing. You'll need to succeed, no matter what."

Ichigo glared up into Uruhara's eyes again and stood up. "Kisuke, all of the Seireitei is in ruin, and I have one chance to make it better, and stop the man who caused it all. No matter what risks there are, no matter what evils I may face, I will take this chance!" Urahara frowned for a moment, then nodded, slowly pulling himself to his feet, and wrapping the scroll back up. With a sigh, the shop keeper handed the ancient artifact to orange-haired youth.

"If you are certain you can handle this, Ichigo," he said slowly, "then, go ahead. Read the inscription, silently to yourself, and you will be sent back in time." Ichigo nodded and slowly opened the parchment. Sighing, he looked up at Urahara and smiled weakly.

"Wish me good luck, Uruhara," he said softly, and then closed his eyes. In a flash, a hole appeared around his feet, glowing a soft purple. Instantly, Ichigo disappeared into the void, away from the eyes of Kisuke and the others. Kisuke sighed, staring at the patch of ground Ichigo had been standing in moments ago, and turned back to the others.

_Good luck, Ichigo_, he thought silently, _You're our last chance. Don't fail us!_

* * *

Ichigo eyes clenched shut against the sharp winds as he rocketed down through the darkness that was the stream of time. The cold bite of the wind cut away at his skin, tearing at his face and pounding into his ears. He felt like he was falling, but he couldn't tell to where, or from where. He'd lost track of time, his body aimlessly tumbling through the darkness. Inwardly, Ichigo screamed.

_Hold tight, Ichigo,_ Old Man Zangetsu's voice called to the Soul Reaper, sounding as firm and unflinching as ever. Hollow Zangetsu, however, was a different story.

_Hold tight? Hold tight?!_ the Hollow-like Zanpakuto shouted at his brother, the panic in his voice clear as crystal. _We are tumbling through the flow of time, without even a notion as to where, or when we are going! We're gonna die in here unless Kingy thinks of something to save us, like right now!_

_What am I supposed to do? _Ichigo shouted at the two in his Inner World, glaring. _I'm as lost as you guys are! How the heck am I going to get us all out of here in one piece if I don't even know what to do?!_

_First, calm yourself, Ichigo, _Old Man Zangetsu commanded. _You're no good to anyone if you are panicking so much, like Hollow Zangetsu over there._ Hollow Zangetsu glared at the black-haired Zanpakuto and hissed angrily at him.

_Of course I'm panicking; WE'RE FALLING TO OUR DEATHS HERE, MORON! _Old Man Zangetsu rolled his eyes at his younger brother and turned back to Ichigo.

_Next, focus on the time we need to return to. As soon as you do so, a door should open that gets us out of the stream of time and into reality._

_And if that fails,_ Hollow Zangetsu shouted, smirking, _You can always just try and use Getsuga Tensho on the stream of time and break our way out of here!_

_Hollow Zangetsu,_ Ichigo said, glaring, _Even I know that is a bad idea._ Frowning, Ichigo closed his eyes again and focused. He needed at time when Aizen wasn't too powerful yet, a time when even without all of his powers, he could stop him. And, if need be, he could spend time training so he can get his powers back even faster. Ichigo's mind reached out to the time that matched the one needed most, and instantly was blinded by white light. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and found himself grinning up at the sun.

"It worked! It actually worked…" Ichigo began to say, before he noticed where he was; hovering about a hundred feet above the Seireimon, the defensive barrier that surrounded the Seireitei. Ichigo stared blankly out at the open space before gravity caught up with him, and he fell. "HAT-N-CLOGGGSSS!" he shouted angrily before he connected with the barrier and was shot out like a bullet into the Rukon Districts. Ichigo groaned and closed his eyes, waiting for the impact.

He blacked out before he even hit the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

"I am sorry, Kaien Shiba, but you are not yet ready to join the ranks of the Soul Reapers, even as a student." The black-haired boy stared in shock at the Soul Reaper Academy Representative. The elder soul's words rang, clear and sharp, through his ears, their painful truth they told cutting him down like no Zanpakuto could. Slowly, Kaien stared at his hands, set on his knees, their knuckles buckling into bone-white fists. He was certain that his fingernails were cutting into his skin now, but he didn't care about that now. All Kaien could feel was shock, plain and full.

Another Soul Reaper stood up and moved to the back of the room. "You may attempt again, in six months time, if you still feel like you would wish to join the ranks of the Soul Reapers, Kaien Shiba," he said, frowning, "but, honestly, I think it's time you gave up." Kaien looked up, bewilderment strewn across his face. "Think about it, Kaien. Every six months, you come to this building, a confident grin on your face, and show your skills to the Soul Reapers who are attending, Soul Reapers who have the same skills you have, and have refined them far more than you ever could. And every year, you fail the exam, often times horribly. I'm sorry, but I seriously think you should just stop having these fantasies of joining the Court Guard Squads, and move on with your life."

Kaien stared at the ground again for a few moments, before shaking his head and slowly pulling himself to his feet. "Thank you for that insight, sirs," Kaien said, bowing his head in respect, "but, if I held the same mentality that you believe I should hold, then I would fail at everything I seek after." The Soul Reaper sighed and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"So, I suppose that you are to be expected again, in six months time?" Kaien nodded, grinning.

"Of course! I still have a chance to make it, don't I? I'll see you again in six months." Smirking a bit, he turned on his heel and left the large room. The Soul Reaper watched him leave and smiled, shaking his head. He was a curious one, that Kaien. He would have to keep a close eye on him, if he did ever manage to make it into the Court Guard Squads.

"But that would take a miracle!" he said to the empty room, chuckling a bit. The Soul Reaper let out a long sigh at this, then turned back towards the entrance and moved on towards the Seireitei, leaving his fellow Soul Reapers behind. Captain Hirako wouldn't be happy if he appeared late again. Smirking coolly, Sosuke Aizen slowly slipped into the Seireitei, leaving the Rukon Districts far behind him.

* * *

Kaien sighed as he slowly moved along the road back to the Shiba Mansion. He was in no great hurry to return to the place. When he did get there, no doubt he would be surrounded by his little brother Ganju and his little sister Kukaku, and the blitzkrieg of questions about his entrance exam would begin. Kaien grimaced as he thought of young Ganju, the little boy's eyes wide with excitement at the thought of his brother becoming a Shinigami. He'd be crushed when that same brother would have to tell him it would be a little while longer before he became a Shinigami. Frowning, Kaien came to a stop just beyond the dusty streets of the Rukon Districts and looked out over the rolling fields beyond the city.

Where had he gone wrong? Kaien had always been completely confident in his abilities. He was unbelievably intelligent for a soul of such low status, as well as being extremely skilled in all kinds of Soul Reaper spells. The Soul Reapers were extremely impressed by his amount of reiatsu control, as well as his knowledge of Kido, Hado and Bakudo. And his speed was incredible; only one of the Soul Reapers present had managed to out-pace him, and he had been from the Stealth Force, so it was sort of unfair. The only thing he really could seriously work on would have to be Zanjutsu, seeing as he didn't have a Zanpakuto yet. Sighing, Kaien stared down at the valley. If that was the one thing he had to work on, then why had he been forced to stay back?

Kaien thought about the Soul Reapers, and slowly a dark rage began to form at the base of his chest. No doubt, they had held him back simply because of his status in life. Sure, the Shibas were among the better members of the Rukon citizens, and had once been among the royal family lineage, but now they were citizens of the slums. Meanwhile, snots from the Soul Reaper families were getting in no problem. It was the only logical explanation, as illogical as it was. The only other explanation would be that he seriously needed more practice…but that couldn't be it. He had been practicing all of his skills for five years straight. If he wasn't ready yet, then there was something seriously wrong.

Sighing, Kaien shook his head free of such negative thoughts and began trudging his way down to the Shiba Mansion. Accent on began. About halfway down the hill, Kaien suddenly came to a stop, his eyes wide. Sitting at the base of the hill was a huge crater, almost ten feet in diameter, and five feet deep. And laying at the bottom was a man with spiky orange hair, a Soul Reaper's cloak, and a two large blades that stood erect in the earth to either side of him.

Kaien stared at the downed Soul Reaper for a moment or two longer, then shook himself. Quickly, he walked down to the crater, picked him up, and continued on his way to the Shiba Mansion. Whether he hated Soul Reapers or not didn't matter; right now, this man needed help, and Kaien could give it to him.


End file.
